DEL MAR, Calif. - Blue Tone won the first stakes of his career in Saturday’s $98,650 Brubaker Stakes over a mile and could be back at Del Mar in November for a more lucrative prize.
Trainer Bob Hess Jr. said he hopes to run Blue Tone in the $200,000 Native Diver Handicap over 1 1/8 miles Nov. 29 during the track’s autumn meeting. The Grade 3 Native Diver previously was run at the now-closed Hollywood Park and was worth $150,500 in 2013.
DEL MAR, Calif. – Sunset Glow, who swept the two graded stakes for 2-year-old fillies at Del Mar this summer to emerge as a division leader, is likely to race at Keeneland in October.
Sunset Glow won the Grade 2 Sorrento Stakes over 6 1/2 furlongs Aug. 6 and the Grade 1 Del Mar Debutante over seven furlongs Saturday. Her next race is likely to be the $400,000 Darley Alcibiades Stakes over 1 1/16 miles Oct. 4 at Keeneland, trainer Wesley Ward said.
SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. – Coming off two Grade 1 victories at Saratoga, Palace will be aimed toward the Breeders’ Cup Sprint at Santa Anita on Nov. 1 with the potential of running in the Grade 1 Vosburgh at Belmont Park on Sept. 27, trainer Linda Rice said Sunday.
After winning the Grade 1 Vanderbilt here Aug. 2 by one length, Palace returned four weeks later to win Saturday’s Grade 1, $500,000 Forego Stakes by 3 1/2 lengths over fellow New York-bred Big Business. The win earned Palace a fees-paid berth into the Sprint.
SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. - With the Saratoga meeting reaching its conclusion, thoughts of the fall begin to come into focus for many horsemen.
Part of trainer Steve Asmussen’s fall plans involve running his two top 3-year-olds in $1 million races at Parx on Sept. 20. Untapable, the Kentucky Oaks and Mother Goose winner, is pointing to the Grade 1 Cotillion, while Tapiture, winner of the Matt Winn and West Virginia Derby in his last two starts, is pointing to the Grade 2 Pennsylvania Derby. Both put in workouts shortly after 6 a.m. Sunday over Saratoga’s main track.
SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. - If there is to be a Round 3 between Itsmyluckyday and Moreno, it is unlikely to occur in the $1 million Jockey Club Gold Cup at Belmont Park on Sept. 27.
Itsmyluckyday beat Moreno in Saturday’s Grade 1, $600,000 Woodward at Saratoga by one half-length, reversing a 1 1/4-length loss to Moreno in the Grade 1 $1.25 million Whitney here four weeks earlier.
SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. - Wise Dan thrust his head out of his stall, looking around for his feed tub shortly before 10 a.m. on Sunday, acting bright and happy. He did not look like a horse who, less than 24 hours earlier, had carried 127 pounds to a gut-wrenching and near record-setting victory coming off a four-month layoff in the Grade 2 Bernard Baruch Handicap.
DEL MAR, Calif. – Selecting a race for Calculator for the final days of the Del Mar meeting was easy for trainer Peter Miller.
Even though the colt is a maiden after two starts, Miller and owner Richard Pell are willing to try Calculator in Wednesday’s $300,000 Del Mar Futurity over seven furlongs. Wednesday is the closing day of the Del Mar summer meeting.
Finding a race for Red Outlaw, the winner of Friday’s $100,000 El Cajon Stakes, might be tougher.
DEL MAR, Calif. - Clubhouse Ride, who won the Grade 2 Californian Stakes at Santa Anita in June but was last of 10 in the $1 million Pacific Classic on Aug. 24, is among the candidates for the $200,000 Los Alamitos Mile on Saturday.
The Los Alamitos Mile is the top race of the three-week Los Alamitos September meeting, which takes the place of the Los Angeles County Fair meeting at Fairplex Park on the Southern California calendar.
The Los Alamitos September meeting begins Friday and continues through Sept. 21 for 11 racing days.
After an online vote by racing fans, Hall of Fame jockey John Velazquez was presented the Mike Venezia Memorial Award on Saturday in the Saraoga winner’s circle. The award, created in 1989, is given to jockeys who exemplify extraordinary sportsmanship and citizenship. It is named in honor of Venezia, who died as the result of injuries he suffered in a spill in 1988 at Belmont Park.
SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. - Experience counts.
El Kabeir and Two Weeks Off, each of whom had a start at the meet, won split divisions of a 2-year-old maiden race on Saturday’s card at Saratoga.
El Kabeir, a son of Scat Daddy, was quite impressive, rolling to a 10 3/4-length victory over the Todd Pletcher-trained Royal Son, who also was making his second start.
El Kabeir had finished third behind Blofeld in a five-furlong maiden race going five furlongs here Aug. 14. John Terranova had heard from everybody that he was entering the horse back on rather short notice.
